Victor Starffin (1916-1957) Autographs in both English and Japanese Katakana like the one on this shikishi at lower right are always in high demand. What makes this Starffin shikishi even more interesting than usual is the signature of Takeo Akuta (lower left). We have never before been able to offer an autograph of this early Japan Baseball Hall of Fame member.

Takeo Akuta (October 20, 1903 - September 5, 1987) was a Japanese amateur baseball player, professional baseball manager, baseball team owner, sports journalist, and baseball commentator. In the fall of 1925, he was the first player to win the batting title in the Tokyo Big Six League. He served as team captain in 1926. In 1952, he became the manager of the Kintetsu Pearls, a post he held through 1957.

Other autographs on this shikishi include Hall of Famer Sadayoshi Fujimoto (d. 1984) (upper right), Giichi Hayashi (upper left) and an unknown autograph immediately above the Starffin signatures.

Size: 10 3/4" x 9 1/2"

Condition: Autographs--Starffin 9 out of 10, Akuta--7 out of 10, Fujimoto--8 out of 10, Hayashi--8 out of 10